Candidate's husband faces expulsion over flyer scandal

Senior Liberal Party sources say Greg Chijoff, the husband of Lindsay candidate Karen Chijoff, will be expelled from the party over the fake campaign pamphlet scandal.

Senior party sources say Mr Chijoff was involved in the distribution of fake flyers from the non-existent 'Islamic Australia Foundation' in the marginal Sydney seat.

The pamphlet suggests Labor supports the Bali bombers and calls for more mosques to be built.

Mr Chijoff has been a fixture in the Liberal ranks around Penrith for many years, at one time holding a senior role in the branches.

He is also known as a powerbroker among right wing Liberals.

A member of the Liberals state executive, Jeff Egan, has already been expelled from the party over the flyer.

Senior officials are so far refusing to comment on the involvement of Mr Chijoff.

Howard's support for candidate

But Prime Minister John Howard says Ms Chijoff should not be sacked for her husband's involvement.

"We, I hope, live in a society where we treat husbands and wives - although we respect the closeness of their relationship - we treat them as individuals and we shouldn't automatically transfer blame for the deeds of one onto the other," he said.

Labor leader Kevin Rudd says he is not surprised the Liberals have resorted to such tactics.

"[It's] the absolute desperate and deceptive and negative nature of these Liberal Party tactics on the eve of an election, which summarises in itself the desperate and negative nature of the entire Liberal Party advertising campaign." he said.

"It has been desperate and negative."

Gary Clark, the husband of the seat's retiring Liberal MP Jackie Kelly, has apologised to the Liberal Party for his part in the scandal.

Mr Clark, who is pictured on the front of today's Daily Telegraph holding one of the flyers in front of his face, has also apologised to the Muslim community.

But a former campaigner for Ms Kelly says her team has used questionable tactics before - including issuing fake 'how to vote' cards on the 2001 polling day.

Ken Higgs says it was openly discussed at campaign meetings as a way to counter a threat from a resident action group which was campaigning on a platform to save a local defence site.

"It actually said how to save the ADI site and the number one preference was Jackie Kelly and our Liberal party booth workers were told to put on a 'Save the ADI site' T-shirt and hand out this bogus how to vote card," he said.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has referred Labor Party complaints over the flyers to the Australian Federal Police.